Department for Work and Pensions

Poverty

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reportDestitution in the UK 2023, published on 24 October, which found that "approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children".

Viscount Younger of Leckie: This government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. We are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising bills. Furthermore, government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families and has overseen significant falls in absolute poverty since 2009/10. In 2021/22 there were 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10, including 400,000 fewer children, 1 million fewer working age adults and 200,000 fewer pensioners. Rates of absolute poverty after housing costs for individuals in families in receipt of Universal Credit have also fallen by 12ppt since 2019/20. With almost one million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting people, including parents, to move into and progress in work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. The latest statistics show that in 2021/22 children living in workless households were 5 times more likely to be in absolute poverty, after housing costs, than those where all adults work. To help people into work, our core Jobcentre offer provides a range of options, including face-to-face time with work coaches and interview assistance. In addition, there is specific support targeted towards young people, people aged 50 plus and job seekers with disabilities or health issues. To support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW. In addition, the voluntary in-work progression offer started to roll-out in April 2022. It is now available in all Jobcentres across Great Britain. We estimate that around 1.4m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work. To further support parents into work, on 28th June 2023, the maximum monthly amounts that a parent can be reimbursed for their childcare increased by 47%, from £646.35 for one child and £1,108.04 for two or more children to £950.92 and £1,630.15 respectively. Importantly, we can now also provide even more help with upfront childcare costs when parents move into work or increase their hours. This means that a parent who needs this additional financial help can now be provided with funding towards both their first and second set of costs (or increased costs), upfront, thereby easing them into the UC childcare costs cycle.

Department for Transport

Pedicabs: Greater London

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been (1) killed, and (2) injured, in London by pedicabs in each of the last five years.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: There is limited data relating to injuries caused by pedicabs in London owing to the lack of a licensing regime and limited enforcement activity. Pedicabs are the only form of unregulated public transport on London’s roads – this has led to Government being made aware of common occurrences of anti-social, unsafe and nuisance behaviour from certain pedicab operators and drivers. Government has introduced the Pedicabs (London) Bill so that passengers, pedestrians and other road users can go about their lives safe in the knowledge pedicabs, their drivers and operators are properly licensed and accountable.

Roads: Birmingham City Council

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Commissioners appointed to oversee the responsibilities of Birmingham City Council are intending to accept the negotiated new contract for the maintenance of road services, in time to ensure a handover at the expiration of the current contract on 31 January 2024; and if they do not plan to do so, what steps are the taking to ensure alternative arrangements are made for road maintenance in the city.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is currently considering the Business Case for a revised contract for Birmingham Highways Maintenance following the failure of Birmingham's original PFI deal. A decision is expected in due course.Highways maintenance is a critical and statutory function for all Local Authorities and the government will continue to support authorities to fulfil this function.Commissioners have oversight of strategic financial decision-making at the Council and they will want to be satisfied that the contract achieves value for money for Birmingham residents. They are providing advice and challenge to the council, and are able to make decisions directly, if necessary.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent rise in car insurance premiums; and what assessment they have made of the impact of this rise on motorists.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: It is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums along with the terms and conditions of their policies. The Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

Department of Health and Social Care

IVF

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines Fertility problems: assessment and treatment, published on 20 February 2013 and updated on 6 September 2017, what assessment they have made of the access criteria for IVF.

Lord Markham: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines are currently under review by NICE, who expects revised guidelines to be published by the end of 2024.The Women’s Health Strategy sets out our longer-term ambition to work with NHS England and integrated care boards to ensure that the recommendations of the revised guidelines are fully implemented.

IVF: LGBT+ People

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that same-sex couples have equal access to IVF provision.

Lord Markham: Funding decisions for health services in England, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population.The Government published the first Women’s Health Strategy on 20 July 2022, which contained several important changes and future ambitions to improve the variations in access to National Health Service funded fertility services. This includes improving access to IVF for female same-sex couples by removing the additional financial burden they face when accessing treatment. NHS England are developing guidance for ICBs to assist in their commissioning plans, which will be published shortly.

Fertility: Medical Treatments

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they take to monitordisparities in access to fertility treatment caused by local health authorities, in particular surrounding access of same-sex couples to treatment.

Lord Markham: As part of the first-year commitments in the Women’s Health Strategy, we published our in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) transparency tool on GOV.UK in July 2023. This tool compiles published integrated care board policies on their local fertility treatment offer, to inform patients, to keep track nationally of implementation progress, and to highlight poor performers.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Cattle: Animal Breeding

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made to ensure that farmers in Northern Ireland can import cow embryos from North America, as can farmers inthe rest of the UK.

Lord Benyon: Farmers in Northern Ireland can import cattle embryos from United States and Canada. These imports must meet the conditions set out by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), including the requirement for an appropriate veterinary certificate. Further information is available on the DAERA website.

Poultry: Avian Influenza

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: To ask His Majesty's Government whatcompensation is available to traditional free range turkey farmers who slaughter on farm for birds that have been slaughtered and are hanging as part of the maturation process at the time bird flu is detected.

Lord Benyon: Compensation, as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981, is paid for healthy birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes. No compensation is available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is also not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat that needs to be disposed of to prevent further disease spread. Any meat or birds that have been slaughtered and are hanging as part of the maturation process on an infected premises will be subject to risk assessment. If it is considered to present a risk of disease spread, the meat or birds will need to be biosecurely disposed of without compensation.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution that the (1) Sustainable Farming Incentive, (2) Countryside Stewardship, and (3) Landscape Recovery schemes will make to delivering (a) the fifth carbon budget, and (b) the objectives of the Government's Environmental Improvement Plan.

Lord Benyon: In the Net Zero Growth Plan (published 30 March 2023) and the Environmental Improvement Plan (published 31 January 2023) the Government has set out how its environment land management schemes will contribute to the reduction in carbon emissions and delivering against the ambitious environmental goals. The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are key interventions through which the government will support farmers and land managers to deliver on ambitions. A detailed programme of monitoring and modelling supports the design of these interventions and their respective contributions to a range of objectives for the environment and climate. The SFI will reduce the requirement for fertilisers by incentivising herbal lays or legume mixes. Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are anticipated to provide large carbon sequestration opportunities through tree planting, peatland restoration and agroforestry as well as continuing to offer capital grants that improve slurry storage all of which will deliver for the fifth carbon budget. The SFI, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are designed to support delivering the goals within the Environmental Improvement Plan. As set out in March 2023, this will include contributions to thriving plants and wildlife, clean air, clean and plentiful water, using resources from nature sustainably, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment. As the environment land management schemes continue to be implemented the Government is undertaking ongoing research and analysis to quantify and refine the impacts these interventions are making and how they are delivering against the goals of the Environment Improvement Plan.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask His Majesty's Government what is theirestimate of the impactof the (1) Sustainable Farming Incentive, (2) Countryside Stewardship, and (3) Landscape Recovery schemeson (a) reductions in carbon emissions, (b) increased species abundance, and (c) the delivery of their commitment to protect 30 per cent of land and sea for nature by 2030.

Lord Benyon: In the Environmental Improvement Plan (published 31 January 2023) and the Net Zero Growth Plan (published 30 March 2023) the Government has set out how its environment land management schemes will contribute to environmental targets and reducing carbon emissions. The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are key interventions through which the Government will support farmers and land managers to deliver for the environment and to reduce carbon emissions. A detailed programme of monitoring and modelling supports the design of these interventions and their respective contributions to a range of objectives. It is estimated that across the SFI, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery there will be significant contribution to Defra’s effort share to reduce carbon emissions through agricultural decarbonisation, tree planting, peatland restoration and other on farm changes. These interventions will also support the commitment to create or restore 500,000ha of habitat outside of protected areas to improve species abundance and halt species decline, this includes a commitment to support bespoke species recovery in key sites. Additionally, the interventions will ensure land is delivering for nature and new habitat created will be of sufficient quality to be protected, we have committed to ensuring that sites of special scientific interest are brought up to or remain in favourable condition. As the environment land management schemes continue to be implemented the Government is undertaking ongoing research and analysis to quantify and refine the impacts these interventions are making.